CITY DRUG COURT: A WAY OUT

One of the most serious and persistent problems we face as a city and
as a nation is drug abuse and addiction. It destroys lives, careers
and families. It contributes to violence and destabilizes our society.
It is an added economic burden on our social-service and
criminal-justice functions.

Drug addiction is also a critical piece of the puzzle that needs to be
addressed when we talk about how to make Philadelphia safer.
Philadelphia Treatment Court plays an integral role in the solution,
helping to enhance public safety and improve the quality of life for
all citizens. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, Treatment Court is
working to break the cycle of drug abuse and addiction in our city one
person at a time.

Treatment Court supervises the criminal cases of nonviolent offenders
who are charged with felonies that are drug-related or involve theft
and who need treatment. The keys to managing this criminal-justice
challenge are the program's intensive supervision and treatment. With
the district attorney's approval, Treatment Court gives offenders the
opportunity to enter a comprehensive program that includes
detoxification and assessment; treatment; training in anger
management, family therapy, life skills and education (including
employment requirements); and after-care services.

Participants are closely monitored through drug testing, regularly
appear before the presiding judge, and face swift sanctions, including
incarceration, for noncompliance. Overall, the program focuses on
enforcing personal accountability and providing the tools for a
successful recovery.

The Treatment Court program gives offenders a second chance to redeem
themselves. Upon completion of the program, defendants may withdraw
their plea and have charges dismissed with prejudice. If they remain
conviction-free for one year after graduation with no evidence of
substance abuse during that period, the arrest is expunged from their
record. Since its inception in April 1997, 1,357 participants have
completed the program.

This fresh start provides participants with the motivation to reach
their goal of breaking the addiction cycle and rejoining society as a
contributing member. Many law enforcement departments coordinate
efforts to promote an individual's rehabilitation and recovery.

The support system offered by Treatment Court is critical because the
needs of the substance-abusing criminal population extend beyond
treatment. Participants also require assistance getting their lives
back on track, such as finding employment and dealing with family
issues. Punishment alone is not the answer; incarceration by itself
does not remedy the underlying problem of addiction.

The Treatment Court system diverts nonviolent drug offenders from
prison to give them their best chance at the hard work of
rehabilitation. In fact, 90 percent of Treatment Court graduates
remain drug- and conviction-free one year later.

Treatment Court is not only effective in rehabilitating substance
abusers and offenders, but also cost-effective. To deal with the
country's drug-abuse epidemic, we must consider these innovative
approaches that look beyond the traditional "lock 'em up" mentality
about punishing offenders. Studies of similar drug courts in
California, New York and Washington have found that the average cost
for each client to complete the program is thousands of dollars less
than incarceration and the continuing social and medical services that
would be otherwise needed to treat an addict. In addition,
Philadelphia Treatment Court helps clear the traditional
criminal-justice system's jam-packed docket.

As Pennsylvania's first drug court, Philadelphia Treatment Court has
paved the way for treatment courts throughout the commonwealth.
Seventeen counties now have drug courts, and more are planned.
Philadelphia Treatment Court also acts as a "mentor court," providing
training for other jurisdictions.

With more than 25 years of experience as a criminal-court judge, I
have found my work as presiding judge of Philadelphia Treatment Court
to be the most rewarding. While it can be frustrating that not all
participants complete the program, I am constantly encouraged by those
who have broken the tragic, destructive cycle of abuse and addiction
and return to their families and communities as positive and
productive citizens. They are the proof that Treatment Court works.